The Highland
Beach Police Department has developed a child identification card to offer
those families that reside in our town. Why a child ID card? An ID card can be
a lifesaver in an emergency by providing important medical information,
including allergies and other medical conditions, emergency contacts and even a
medical release signature to first responders, law enforcement or others in the
event of an injury or accident.

The safety
of our children is what is most important to all of us. According to The United
States Department of Justice, approximately 797,000 kids are reported missing
each year – that’s 2,185 kids on average every day. It’s estimated that 34
percent of American parents wouldn’t be able to accurately describe their child
to law enforcement, including details of exact height and weight as well as
their child’s eye color. Child ID cards answer these questions. The child ID
cards are not a microchip, monitoring system or other tracking device, but it
does have the child’s full legal name, address, birth date, height and gender.
Should your child have an ID card? The National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children recommend that all kids have and carry identification cards.

Along with
the ID cards, the police department will provide you with a Child Safety Kit which was developed by
the Polly Klaas Foundation. The free kit includes information such as:

Asking for help when no trusted adult is nearby.Unacceptable adult behaviors that can threaten
children.Recognizing dangerous situations.Ways to respond to dangerous situations and keep
safe.

The
Child Safety Kit tells parents what
they need to know, and how to say it to their children. Additionally, the
police department will offer fingerprinting of your child, for you to keep for
your records.

For
more or information, contact the Highland Beach Police department at 266-5800,
to learn more.

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.